This invention relates generally to electronic packages and more particularly to packages adapted to house processing elements which are part of a distributed control system.
As is known in the art, a highly successive distributed control system is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,706,278, 5,809,220 and 5,796,935 all assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, the entire subject matter of each of such patents being incorporated herein by reference. Such patents describe, a fault tolerant distributed control system for sensing and control across a fault tolerant fiber optic communication media interconnecting a plurality of intelligent nodes. Each intelligent node comprises: a digital communication processor (DCCP) operating autonomously in relation to DCCPs at other nodes; and, a transceiver interfacing with the communication media. The fiber optic communication media comprises bi-directional serial data busses. The combination provides a low cost, highly reliable distributed control system particularly applicable to primary and secondary aircraft control systems, as well as to other vehicle and control systems, for example.
As is also known in the art, the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) are becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of energy which can enter today""s aircraft fuel tanks; whether as a designed level, or from externally coupled sources (e.g., lightening, surge, short-circuits, etc.). One of the primary reasons listed by the NTSB for the TWA Flight 800 explosion is electrical energy coupling in the fuel tank. Recent efforts to reduce this source of fuel explosion have focused on reducing the level of designed energy inside the tank; but, such efforts have faced a difficult task of quantifying and proving that unintended, or sneak, paths do not, and cannot exist. The failure hazards analysis is a long, and complex process.
In accordance with the invention, a package is provided. The package includes an electro-statically shielded enclosure. A processor is disposed in the enclosure. A communication interface is provided for coupling data between the processor and a processor external to the package with such data passing through the enclosure. A power supply is provided for the processing element disposed in the enclosure. The power supply is adapted to generate power, for the processing element, in response to input energy. An energy interface is provided for coupling the input energy from a source external to the enclosure through a dielectric transmission media passing through the enclosure.
In one embodiment of the invention, the communication interface has a dielectric transmission media, for coupling data through the enclosure between the processor and a processor external to the enclosure, such media passing through the enclosure.
With such an arrangement both data to the electro-statically shielded processor and energy to the electro-statically shielded power supply are coupled to the electro-statically statically shielded enclosure through dielectric media. Therefore, electrical disturbances external to the enclosure will not be carried by conductive wires into the enclosure.
In one embodiment of the invention, a package is provided having an electro-statically shielded enclosure. A processor is disposed in the enclosure. A communication interface, having a dielectric transmission media, is provided for coupling data through the enclosure between the processor and a processor external to the enclosure, such media passing through the enclosure. A power supply for the processor is disposed in the enclosure, such power supply being adapted to generate power in response to input energy. An energy interface, having a dielectric transmission media, is provided for coupling the input energy from a source external to the enclosure through the dielectric transmission media of the energy interface, such energy interface dielectric transmission media passing through the enclosure.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the communication interface has a fiber optic transmission media for coupling data between the processor and a processor external to the package through the fiber optic transmission media, such fiber optic transmission media passing through the enclosure. The power supply for the processing element disposed in the enclosure comprising a photocell adapted to generate power for the processing element in response to light energy produced outside the enclosure. The energy interface has a fiber optic transmission media for coupling the light energy produced outside the enclosure through the energy interface fiber optic transmission media, such energy interface fiber optic transmission media passing through the enclosure.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a fuel measuring system is provided. The fuel measuring system includes a package adapted for mounting to a fuel storage vessel. The package includes an electro-statically shielded enclosure. A processor element is disposed in the enclosure and is adapted for coupling to a fuel sensor disposed in the storage vessel. A communication interface is provided for coupling data through the enclosure between the processor and a processor external to the package through a dielectric transmission media passing through the enclosure. A power supply for the processor element disposed in the enclosure, such power supply-being adapted to generate power for the processing element in response to input energy. An energy interface is provided for coupling the input energy from a source external to the enclosure through dielectric transmission media passing through the enclosure.
With such an arrangement both data to the electro-statically shielded processor and energy to the electro-statically shielded power supply are coupled to the electro-statically shielded enclosure through dielectric media. Therefore, electrical disturbances external to the enclosure will not be carried by conductive wires into the enclosure and then into the fuel tank which might thereby ignite the fuel in the tank.
In one embodiment, the power supply comprises a fiber coupled photocell.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, a fuel monitoring system is provided. The system includes a plurality of fuel measuring systems, each one thereof having a package adapted for mounting to a corresponding one of a plurality of fuel storage vessels. Each one of the packages comprising: (i) an electro-statically shielded enclosure; (ii) a processing element disposed in the enclosure and adapted for coupling to a fuel sensor disposed in the storage vessel coupled thereto; (iii) a communication interface for coupling data through the enclosure between the processing element and a processing element external to the package through a dielectric transmission media passing through the enclosure; (iv) a power supply for the processing element disposed in the enclosure, such power supply being adapted to generate power for the processing element in response to input energy; and, (v) an energy interface for coupling the input energy from a source external to the enclosure through a dielectric transmission media passing through the enclosure. A distributed control system is provided for sensing and controlling the processing elements in the plurality of fuel gauges across a fault tolerant fiber optic communication media interconnecting the processing elements at each one of a plurality of nodes of the system. Each one of such nodes comprises the processing element. The processing element comprising a digital communication processing element adapted to operate autonomously in relation to the other processing elements at the other nodes and a communication interface comprising a transceiver interfacing with the communication media.
In one embodiment of the invention, the fiber optic communication media comprises bi-directional serial data busses.